


Not Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

by disasteratsea



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Light-Hearted, Minor Injuries, Soft Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:33:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21677539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disasteratsea/pseuds/disasteratsea
Summary: Bucky takes a bullet for Natasha, leading to a minor injury and some embarrassment.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov
Kudos: 45





	Not Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting half finished on my drive for at least a year. It's been awhile since I posted anything, so I thought I'd get over the funk by finishing this one up and posting it.

It was almost funny. In all honesty the shot wasn't likely going to hit her, she saw it coming and was fully prepared to duck and cover. But it was Bucky, and Winter Soldier or no he still had a penchant for diving in head first without really thinking things through, that compounded with his almost unsettling protectiveness of Natasha, well, what else had they expected. He had thrown himself in the path of the bullet to push her out of the way, not quite fast enough to save himself the pain of taking the bullet in her place, it had luckily only clipped him. The fact that it had clipped him in the meat of his ass was just a happy coincidence that he wasn't going to be living down any time soon. Ok, so it was pretty funny, the ineffable Winter Soldier laying on his stomach on the bed, frowning up at them while the doctor patched him up after being shot in the ass.

Bucky was scowling at everyone and everything that caught his eye. “You really don't need to be here.”

He was talking to Steve, standing beside her, opposite the side of the bed where the doctor was calmly working. His bedside manner was impressive, if he had made a comment on the current situation Bucky likely would have left to tend to his wounds himself.

“Oh, but I do.” Steve said gleefully.

Natasha rolled her eyes. The moment Steve had learned Bucky wasn't in any serious condition he had started in with the teasing and wasn't likely to stop anytime soon. He was clearly enjoying himself. Bucky less so, as he glared up at his friend.

“I'm sure you have better things to do.” 

The doctor had started his stitches. Nice, even lines made with practiced movements. Bucky grimaced over his shoulder at the man. Natasha reached out to the run a hand over his hair to soothe him.

“I can promise you, Buck, there is nowhere more important right now than right here.”

Another smile, this time almost genuinely caring. Maybe he would be here even if he’d been hit somewhere less embarrassing. She wouldn't be surprised, Steve could be something of a mother hen at times.

She continued to pet Bucky’s hair. Even with the dust of debris clinging to it his hair was soft, though he was maybe due for a trim. She was considering doing that later on if they weren't too tired when the doctor cleared his throat.

“This may leave a scar.” He said. As straight forward as he had been since they'd arrived.

“Great.” Bucky bemoaned. “I’m going to have a nice time telling the story behind that one when someone sees it.”

“Oh?” Natasha gave a light tug to his hair. “And just who do you plan on showing your ass to?”

His face soured more, though this time it was more a sullen pout. He looked to Steve for help but found none.

“I think you're underestimating just how often he loses his pants Nat.” That grin was back, the one that reminded them that Steve had always been a little shit and that hadn't changed with the superpowers. “Have I ever told you about the first time he ever got drunk?”

Mortified Bucky tried to push off the bed and grab his friend and force him from the room. “That's enough outta you. You can leave now.” He growled out before Natasha pushed back down. The doctor made a disapproving sound.

Natasha smiled at Bucky before turning it toward Steve. “You can go now, check up on the others, I can take care of this one.” She nodded back at Bucky, now laying on the bed as the doctor did his work.

As much as he was enjoying himself he wouldn't be joking about this with the rest of the team. “If you're sure. I know he can be kind of an ass when he's injured.” He smiled as he made for the door. “Last one I promise.” He said. “Call me later, let me know how you're doing.”

Once he was gone she turned back to Bucky, looking miserable while the doctor finished up.

He reached a hand out for her to take. “Don't worry,” she said as their fingers knitted together “we’ll be home soon.”

He tugged her hand to bring her closer and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you.” For getting rid of Steve, and for staying with him, and not making fun of him when he was feeling so humiliated already.

“Anything for you, _milli moi._ ”

Soon enough someone else would do something equally or even more embarrassing, and the whole ordeal would be forgotten. It would probably be Clint, the man was incredibly accident prone. It was a wonder he had managed to survive so long.

“How about after this, we go home, have something to eat, and you can tell me something horribly embarrassing about Steve?”

Bucky was quiet for awhile, probably thinking of what story he could tell her.

“Can we have pancakes?”

Natasha smiled softly down at him. She dipped down so they were eye level, made her voice low and husky. “Baby, you can have a whole stack of pancakes if that’s what you want.”

On the other side of the bed the doctor had finished and cleared his throat again. “You’re all good to go.”

Gingerly as he could, Bucky slid his pants back up. “Thanks doc,” he said in that ridiculously genuine way he must’ve picked up from Steve – or maybe it was the other way around. Or maybe it was the world they came from, the one that people always claimed was a more polite world where men were gentlemen and the kids worked harder.

“C’mon,” Natasha wrapped her arm around his waist, careful not to jostle him too much “let’s go home.”

Bucky pressed a chaste kiss to the side of her head. “You take such good care of me.” He told her softly. He was walking carefully, to compensate for the rapidly bruising area around his injury. It slowed them down and gave him plenty of time to regale her with a story about Steve getting sick on a nun at church.


End file.
